The U.S. Agency for International Development utilizes U.S. Air Force airlift capabilities to transport humanitarian aid throughout the Middle East, Nov. 28, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III with humanitarian aid bound for Gaza landed in Egypt on Nov. 28, the U.S. government announced.
The flight is the first U.S. military aircraft sent to the Middle East to deliver aid for the beleaguered civilians in Gaza since the latest Israel-Hamas conflict that began Oct. 7, according to the Pentagon. U.S. officials say two more military aid flights are expected in the coming days.
The C-17 carried 54,000 pounds of aid on behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the foreign humanitarian assistance arm of the American government, USAID said.
According to publicly available flight tracking data, the C-17 that landed in Egypt on Nov. 28 is an Air Force Reserve aircraft that was operating as “REACH 202,” a typical Air Mobility Command callsign.
The aid includes “vitally needed medical supplies, warm clothing, and food and nutrition assistance to the people of Gaza,” Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder told reporters on Nov. 28. “This aid is in addition to the more than 500,000 pounds of food assistance delivered by the United States last week via USAID-contracted aircraft to El Arish, Egypt, for onward travel to Gaza.”
A temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hamas to free dozens of hostages captured by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons “has also enabled a significant surge in additional humanitarian assistance to the innocent civilians who are suffering across the Gaza strip,” President Joe Biden said in a statement on Nov. 27. The U.S. military flights are a key step in the Biden administration’s efforts to increase humanitarian assistance.
“With 1.7 million people internally displaced and 2.2 million in need of humanitarian assistance, increased humanitarian supplies are essential to saving lives and alleviating suffering for the most vulnerable,” USAID said in a statement.
U.S. Air Force aerial port specialists load 24.5 metric tons of humanitarian aid destined for Gaza aboard a C-17 Globemaster III at an undisclosed airfield in the Middle East, Nov. 28, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes
The aid will be delivered via the United Nations from the Northern Sinai region of Egypt to Gaza, U.S. officials said.
“From the president on down, we understand that what is getting in is nowhere near enough for normal life in Gaza, and we will continue to push for additional steps, including the restoration of the flow of commercial goods, and additional basic services,” a senior administration official told reporters.
Around 800 truckloads of aid were to be delivered to Gaza during the first four days of the pause in fighting, U.S. officials said. The pause was extended another two days after it was originally due to expire on Nov. 28. Another senior administration official said “this level or increased levels” of humanitarian aid to Gaza is still needed after the current pause ends.
Israel has made clear it intends to resume its war in Gaza to eliminate Hamas. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III “reiterated that humanitarian aid into Gaza must increase” in a Nov. 27 call to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, according to a readout from the Pentagon.
“Understanding the importance of protecting civilian lives, innocent civilian lives, while at the same time going after the terrorist group Hamas that inflicted pain and suffering not only on the Israeli people, but on the Palestinian people—that will continue to be a priority for us,” Ryder said.
A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III carries 24.5 metric tons, more than 54,000 pounds, of humanitarian supplies to provide vitally needed medical supplies, warm clothing, food and nutrition assistance to the people of Gaza from undisclosed locations throughout the Middle East. In a coordinated effort between the U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. Central Command, the U.S. Air Force began transporting life-saving supplies to help thousands of people amid the humanitarian pause to provide critical assistance to Palestinian civilians. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes)
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Caroline Sussman, 89th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, inspects humanitarian aid loaded aboard a C-17 Globemaster III, Nov. 28, 2023. The U.S. Agency for International Development utilizes U.S. Air Force airlift capabilities to transport humanitarian aid throughout the Middle East, November 28, 2023. U.S. government partners will distribute these supplies to meet staggering needs in Gaza. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeanne Caron, 89th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, ushers in 24.7 metric tons of humanitarian aid destined for Gaza aboard a C-17 Globemaster III at an undisclosed airfield in the Middle East, Nov. 28, 2023. The U.S. Air Force’s rapid global mobility capability enables the expedited movement of critical, life-saving supplies throughout the Middle East. The U.S. Agency for International Development regularly coordinates with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide options to effectively transport millions of dollars of humanitarian aid where it is needed most. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes)
U.S. Air Force Airmen and U.S. Agency for International Development personnel offload 54,000 pounds of humanitarian aid from a C-17 Globemaster III at an undisclosed airfield in the Middle East, Nov. 28, 2023. The humanitarian aid, destined for Gaza, will provide vital medical supplies, clothing, and food to the Palestinian civilians affected by the ongoing crisis. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes)
U.S. Air Force Airmen and U.S. Agency for International Development personnel offload more than 54,000 pounds of humanitarian aid from a C-17 Globemaster III at an undisclosed airfield in the Middle East, Nov. 28, 2023. The humanitarian aid, destined for Gaza, provides vital medical supplies, clothing, and food to the Palestinian civilians affected by the ongoing crisis. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeanne Caron, 89th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, coordinates a humanitarian aid movement aboard the C-17 Globemaster III with U.S. Agency for International Development throughout the Middle East, Nov. 28, 2023. U.S. government partners will distribute these supplies to meet staggering needs in Gaza. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes)
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
A few weeks after the Air Force announced its prestigious William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet would return in March, the service has decided to postpone the event to later this year, according to Air Combat Command.
Raytheon, a division of defense giant RTX, recently announced a multiyear deal with the Pentagon to increase annual production of the Air Force’s primary dogfighting missile by more than 50 percent from two years ago.
The Air Force has kicked off its search for a used airliner it can convert into a new C-40 VIP airlifter. Congress added $250 million to the 2026 budget for the effort.
U.S. aircraft, drones, and attack helicopters have launched significant airstrikes in recent days against Islamic State militants in Syria as part of the renewed air campaign against remnants of the group, U.S. officials said.
In order to deny China “sanctuaries” from which it can launch air and missile salvos during a potential invasion of Taiwan, the U.S. Air Force needs to buy far more B-21 bombers and F-47 fighters than currently planned, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
If the Air Force is in line for a big budget bump from President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget in 2027, the head of Air Combat Command said he would make aircraft spare parts his top spending priority—but cautioned that more money to buy parts won’t equal a…
A U.S. F-35C shot down an Iranian drone operating near the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier Feb. 3 in a dramatic incident that American military officials cautioned could lead to conflict amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S.
The Senate confirmed Gen. John D. Lamontagne to be Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force by voice vote late Jan. 30, along five other Air Force three-stars and a new commander for U.S. Southern Command.
Air Force leaders hail recent strike missions like Midnight Hammer as a shining example of operational readiness, but that success also highlights the challenges ahead should USAF need to mount an extended long-range strike campaign.
Subscribe to the Air & Space Forces Daily Report
The latest news from Air & Space Forces Magazine, as well as news from other leading publications, delivered right to your inbox every morning!
We’re sorry, there has been an error. Please review your input or try again later.
